Perez-Funez v. District Director, Immigration & Naturalization Service

611 F. Supp. 990, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20134
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedJanuary 24, 1984
DocketCV 81-1457-ER, CV 81-1932-CBM
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 611 F. Supp. 990 (Perez-Funez v. District Director, Immigration & Naturalization Service) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Perez-Funez v. District Director, Immigration & Naturalization Service, 611 F. Supp. 990, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20134 (C.D. Cal. 1984).

Opinion

OPINION

RAPEEDIE, District Judge.

This action comes before this Court as a challenge, primarily on constitutional due process grounds, to the manner in which the Immigration and Naturalization Service (“INS”) currently implements its voluntary departure procedure with respect to unaccompanied minor aliens in its custody. The ultimate relief sought by plaintiffs is a judgment declaring the INS’ actions violative of the due process clause of the fifth amendment of the Constitution and applica-, ble statutes, and an order enjoining the INS from implementing voluntary departure in the case of an unaccompanied minor until, inter alia, the INS has appointed an attorney for the minor if the minor is indigent, and the minor has been produced before an immigration judge.

By way of the motions considered herein, plaintiffs seek (1) to have this case certified as a class action under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“F.R.Civ. P.”); and (2) preliminary injunctive relief incorporating substantially the same relief ultimately sought. Additionally, plaintiffs in a related action pending before this Court, Yanira Pena and Claudia Pena v. INS, CV 81-1932 (hereinafter the “Pena action”), seek to have that action consolidated with this action. For the following reasons, the Court finds that the two actions should be consolidated, that a nationwide class should be certified, and that a preliminary injunction should issue, although on terms other than those proposed by the parties.

I. THE PARTIES AND JURISDICTION

Plaintiff Jose Antonio Perez-Funez ,(“Perez-Funez”), a native and citizen of El Salvador, was sixteen years old at the time he was arrested by the INS, and was not accompanied by either a parent or legal guardian when taken into custody. Intervening plaintiffs, Jose De La Cruz and Suyapa Araceli Cruz, were aged twelve and thirteen respectively at the time of their arrest by the INS, are natives and citizens of El Salvador, and were not accompanied by either a parent or legal guardian when they were taken into custody. These plaintiffs seek to bring this action in their individual capacities and on behalf of all those similarly situated.

Defendant INS is an agency of the United States government with nationwide jurisdiction to implement the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. §§ 1101-1503). Defendant David Crosland is the District Director of the Los Angeles District Office of the INS.

Jurisdiction is properly founded on 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1343(4), 1361, and 8 U.S.C. § 1329.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Perez-Funez was arrested and taken into custody by the INS near the Mexican border in California on March 22, 1981, on suspicion of having entered this country illegally. Perez-Funez alleges that he was not advised of his “Miranda” rights before being interrogated and that he was not advised in a meaningful manner of his rights to apply for bail and for political asylum. 1 INS officials presented Perez-Funez a voluntary departure consent form *993 some time during his detention. Although he claims he did not wish to return to El Salvador, Perez-Funez signed the consent form. He alleges that he was not informed that he had any legal alternatives, and that he was led to believe that his failure to consent to voluntary departure would result in a long jail detention and a return to El Salvador nonetheless. 2

Pursuant to his consent to voluntary departure, Perez-Funez was taken to the Los Angeles International Airport for removal from the United States, where his removal was prevented by an attorney retained by Perez-Funez’s aunt. 3 Perez-Funez is now free on a $3,000 bond, set by defendant District Director David Crosland, pending a deportation hearing.

Intervening plaintiffs Jose and Suyapa Cruz recount a similar story. Arrested near Yuma, Arizona, on October 21, 1981, they allege that they were not advised by the INS of their “Miranda” rights and were presented with voluntary departure consent and waiver forms which they were told to sign without further explanation. The Cruz children, who had relatives lawfully living in the United States, claim that they signed the voluntary departure forms only because they did not understand that they were giving up their right to other legal options, 4 or that those other options even existed.

III. THE CHALLENGED PROCEDURE-VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE

Voluntary departure is a procedure by which a qualifying alien may consent to summary removal from the United States, usually at the alien’s expense. As a condition precedent to the implementation of the voluntary departure procedure, the alien must sign a waiver of his right to a deportation hearing and all other available relief. The advantage of voluntary departure to the alien is that he usually spends less time in custody (voluntary removal from the United States typically takes place within hours of signing the waiver), and voluntary departure does not have the prejudicial effect upon possible future lawful attempts to enter the United States as does a formal deportation order.

Plaintiffs are not challenging the existence or fairness of the voluntary departure program per se, rather they are alleging that the INS coerces unaccompanied minors into electing this option regardless of whether or not voluntary departure would be in those individuals’ best interests.

IV. MOTION FOR CONSOLIDATION

Yanira and Claudia Pena seek to consolidate their action with the Perez-Funez action. Yanira Pena, aged thirteen, and Claudia Pena, aged 11, were arrested by the INS in San Ysidro, California, on April 18, 1981. They were not accompanied by either a parent or legal guardian at the time of their arrest. They are both natives and citizens of El Salvador.

Yanira and Claudia allege that they were not advised by the INS of their right to be represented by an attorney prior to their interrogation, or their right to apply for political asylum or other forms of relief from deportation. The children further claim that they were presented voluntary *994 departure consent forms and told they “had to sign them”, 5 which they did because they believed that no alternatives existed.

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Bluebook (online)
611 F. Supp. 990, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perez-funez-v-district-director-immigration-naturalization-service-cacd-1984.